After much research, we have decided to take the baby-led weaning approach to solids.
The first step to this was to have Burkley join us at the dinner table. Typically for meals, he would either lay on the floor playing and hanging out or chill in his bouncy seat. Sometimes we would eat while he took his evening nap. This past week we started including him in our meals by having him sit in the Bumbo on the table with us. We need to setup his high chair and will hopefully do that in the next few days or so, but for now, this works. The idea is that he is with us, learning that meals are a social family time and he also can watch us eat and learn about how food works and what we do with it.
Last night, we decided to put a cucumber stick on his plate. Cutting baby's first foods into stick shapes is not a hard-and-fast rule of BLW, but a recommendation for simply making it easier for them to hold onto. Additionally, leaving the skin on one side helps them get a better grip. We put it on his tray and just left it there. Well, honestly, first I tried to hand it to him and he just kept holding his arm over the side of the Bumbo and dropping the cucumber onto the table. THEN we just put it on his tray and ignored him, continuing on with our meal. At the end of dinner most days, when we have time and remember, we read a Proverb- corresponding to whatever day it is (since there are 31 Proverbs- one for every day of most months!). As I was reading aloud, my husband starting snapping his fingers. He usually does to get the dog to quit doing something, so I kept reading. He kept snapping. I looked up at him to see what was going on and I realized he didn't want to talk or say anything that might startle Burkley, but he was trying to get MY attention. He had picked up the cucumber stick and started to gnaw on it!
Then of course I ran to get the camera. :) He kept gnawing on it and gumming it and he appeared to like it. Of course, he gagged a few times, but with BLW, that is to be expected- babies are learning where their gag reflex is (which is about halfway down on their tongue unlike the back of the throat for us grown-ups) and they're also learning how big of a piece of food they can handle. BLW is all about learning and experimenting, which is why, to me, it is so fun!
Soon he began sucking on it and after awhile, he just dropped it and it was a gummed-down limp piece of food. It was so cute!
The first step to this was to have Burkley join us at the dinner table. Typically for meals, he would either lay on the floor playing and hanging out or chill in his bouncy seat. Sometimes we would eat while he took his evening nap. This past week we started including him in our meals by having him sit in the Bumbo on the table with us. We need to setup his high chair and will hopefully do that in the next few days or so, but for now, this works. The idea is that he is with us, learning that meals are a social family time and he also can watch us eat and learn about how food works and what we do with it.
Last night, we decided to put a cucumber stick on his plate. Cutting baby's first foods into stick shapes is not a hard-and-fast rule of BLW, but a recommendation for simply making it easier for them to hold onto. Additionally, leaving the skin on one side helps them get a better grip. We put it on his tray and just left it there. Well, honestly, first I tried to hand it to him and he just kept holding his arm over the side of the Bumbo and dropping the cucumber onto the table. THEN we just put it on his tray and ignored him, continuing on with our meal. At the end of dinner most days, when we have time and remember, we read a Proverb- corresponding to whatever day it is (since there are 31 Proverbs- one for every day of most months!). As I was reading aloud, my husband starting snapping his fingers. He usually does to get the dog to quit doing something, so I kept reading. He kept snapping. I looked up at him to see what was going on and I realized he didn't want to talk or say anything that might startle Burkley, but he was trying to get MY attention. He had picked up the cucumber stick and started to gnaw on it!
Then of course I ran to get the camera. :) He kept gnawing on it and gumming it and he appeared to like it. Of course, he gagged a few times, but with BLW, that is to be expected- babies are learning where their gag reflex is (which is about halfway down on their tongue unlike the back of the throat for us grown-ups) and they're also learning how big of a piece of food they can handle. BLW is all about learning and experimenting, which is why, to me, it is so fun!
Soon he began sucking on it and after awhile, he just dropped it and it was a gummed-down limp piece of food. It was so cute!
Now, if I'm honest, and this blog is all about honesty, I will say it was a bit emotional for me to see him eating food! Well, not eating exactly as none of it really got ingested besides a little bit of juice, but still...Would he still want my milk? Does he still want to nurse? I started to wonder... silly, I know. Although Marcus did say to me, "Well, one day he won't want your milk." Oh man!! The harsh truth!
I'm not sure when we'll offer him food again, but the idea behind BLW is to offer babies a wide array of foods after six months of age when their bodies can digest it without having to worry as much about introducing one food at a time to watch for allergies or sensitivities. I'd like to get better about offering him what we are actually eating as cucumbers were not part of our dinner last night. But, I don't think he's quite ready for a full tray of food just yet. He's still learning how to maneuver his little hands to pick up his toys and other things, so I know he's not ready to pick up lots of food.
Stay tuned for future episodes of Baby-led Weaning! :)
Wow, he really looks like he liked it! Yay for Episode 1....and I get it about being sad for when the day comes when he doesn't want your milk! It's bittersweet for sure but you have a long time before you have to worry about that! In the meantime, enjoy!
ReplyDeleteTOO SWEET! He is totally diggin that cucumber!! His eyebrows say, "Mom, what are you doing with that camera?" :) I'm sure cucumber was a good first start because it's juicy and he could actually get the taste for something and learn swallowing something besides milk. I know it's emotional, dear! He might not always need your milk, but he will always need you!! Lovies!
ReplyDeletehaha the 2nd picture of him his so cute! it looks like a glimpse of what he's going to look like when he's a toddler!
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